David Cherry's blog

What if we told you that you can get the latest news about the hottest titles and trends in the world of books delivered to your email inbox? What if that news was focused on just the type of books you like to read--whether that be romance, mystery, historical fiction, or other genre? What if it was compiled by the people who wrote the book on recommending books? What if all of it came in a spiffy, quick-reading newsletter format? What if signing up for the service took only seconds and it was all absolutely free?

What’s best of all about our new NextReads newsletters is that when you see something you just have to read—and you will—you just click a link and it takes you straight to the title’s HCPL catalog record where you can make a request. In a day or two, the book will be there waiting for you on the hold shelf of your local branch. And it’s all free! You don’t have to worry about maxing out your credit cards and you will never have to decide whether you want to read or eat that month.

When Rimbaud wasintroduced to the leading lights of Parisian poetry, he managed to alienate dang near every one of them within minutes. After the group's tres gentile dinner, each poet stood and read his verse aloud. Rimbaud listened more or less politely for a time, then pronounced each man's poem...um...not good. Actually, he used a scatological term more appropriate to the barnyard than to a literary salon. That it turns out his assessment was by and large correct, makes it no less rude.

HCPL hosts filmmaker Francis O’Donnell and free screenings of his Emmy®
Nominated Documentary, In the Footsteps of Marco Polo.

What happens when two ordinary guys—one working as a wedding photographer, the other a former Marine turned artist--decide they need a little adventure in their lives? If they are Denis Belliveau and Francis O’Donnell, a 25,000 mile trek across Eurasia retracing the journey of 13th Century adventurer Marco Polo, and a PBS documentary that earns an Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming.

This month, Harris County Public Library will host one of those intrepid travelers, Francis O’Donnell, for two free screenings of the film In the Footsteps of Marco Polo to be followed by lively discussions of the journey and the making of the film.
During the two-year journey from Venice to China and back, the pair traveled on foot, horseback, camelback, in jeeps, trucks, boats and trains, and survived everything man and Mother Nature threw at them, including the forbidding Taklamakan Desert, Tajik soldiers, bureaucrats, and border guards.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the randomness of the universe lately…well, the randomness of my little corner of it anyway. When I was a kid I saw connections everywhere I looked. Odd events really did come in threes, knocking on wood was a sovereign corrective for unintentional hubris, and an involuntary shiver really did mean someone had just walked over my grave.

Starting November 14, 2012, customers will need to scan their library cards when using the self-checkout machines at all Harris County Public Library branches. In the past, customers could use the key pad on the machine to enter their library card number. We feel that this change in policy will allow us to better safeguard our customers' privacy.

Sure, many of us with teens in the house might prefer that they read Anna Karenina, or A Tale of Two Cities instead of manga or the latest installment of that Vampire mega-saga. But, you know what? We’d be fools to say a word about it. You see, if a teen is reading for pleasure, it doesn’t matter all that much what s/he is reading. The same synapses are firing and the same kinds of connections are being made in the brain whether a teen is reading Fullmetal Alchemist or For Whom the Bell Tolls.

For book people, having the opportunity to share a good book with a friend or two is one of the many pleasures that come with the reading life. Imagine what it would be like to share one with thousands of friends. Harris County Public Library and other area library systems are doing just that.

Today we are kicking off Gulf Coast Reads 2012. During the month of October, we are encouraging everyone to read Jonathan Safran Foer's bestselling novel, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and to join us for book discussions, movie screenings and many other special events inspired by the novel; capped off with a conversation and book signing with the author on October 27.

Information for Persons with Disabilities: Harris County Public Library will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities who are interested in attending library programs. To make a request for yourself or someone you know, please notify the Branch Librarian two working days in advance of the program.